Connecting means for chains



Sept. 22, 1931. F. G. HODELL CONNECTING MEANS FOR cmuus Filed May 23, 1930 I INVENTOR fi-edr/M' flm'// Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATE FREDERICK G. nonELL, oFc EvE A n'HEiGnTs, onio, ASSIGNOR o run CHAlZN PRODUCTS COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, 011:0,1 conronA'rron or 011 10 coiv Ec'r ING mmivs roncmims Application med May 23, 1930. Serial no. 454,986.

My invention relatesto means forsecuring the free ends of a length of chain together and, particularly, to a connecting means adapted for use in securingthe free ends of the side chains of anti-skid tire devices together. V V

Generally, anti-skid tire devices of the type to which this invention relates have consisted of two relatively longlengths of chain adapted to extend around approximately the cir cumference of the rim of a wheel and commonly referred to as side chains, andshort transverse membersof a length sufficient to extend laterally around the tire from one side thereof to the other and connect the longitudinal side chains together, the transverse members'being disposed at'spaced intervals around the circumference of the wheel. One end of each of the longitudinal side chains a has ordinarily been provided with'a connecting means or'locking link whereby after placing the anti-skid device'in proper position on the tire, the whole could be secured thereon by employing the connectingTmea-ns or side chain together. I V

The principal objectsof this invention are to produce a connecting means for the free ends of the longitudinal side'chains of such nature that the ends'of the side. chains may be brought into the" desired position with ease or may be released from such position with the same ease; to provide a connecting means or side chain lockthat is simple in con-.

i 25 chain lock to secure the free ends of each side struction and inexpensive to manufacture;

and to provide a connecting means or side chain lock that is secure against inadvertent or unintended unlocking. Various other objects and advantageous 40 features of my invention maybe seen in the following'detailed description and one embodiment thereof may be seeninthe accoms panying drawings whereinsimilar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein l is a side elevation.

showing one embodiment of my invention in locked position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device in open position; Fig. 3 is a view showing the device in partially closed position; Fig. 4 is a view showing the device in still another closed position; Fig. 5 is atop plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a top plan View ofthe device as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, each vofthe side chain links 1, a plurality of which go to make up a length of chain which constitutes one of the side chains of an anti-skid tire device, are-of the type generally found in antiskid chains and are formed symmetrically.

'That is, each link is formed of a length of spring'wirethat is bent to form an eye as shown; the free ends of the wire being also bent around the body portion of the length of wire toform adjacent aligned eyes at one end of thelink. Such chain'is well .known in theartf 1 In accordance with my invention; the ad-i' jacent aligned eyes of one ofthe links 1 are secured to oneend of a member 2 which forms the tension member of the connecting means or side chain look by means of a headed :pin

3 extending through-the" member: 2'. and swagedf at its headless endover a washer. as shown. Thus,.'the tension member 2 ispermanently secured to the end link l-of the chain but in suchmanner that there may be free relative rotativeand a certain degree of twisting movement between the link and'the tension member. L i A'sflshown in the drawings, the tension member 2 is provided with a notch 4 that. is slightlyundercut as at 5 in a direction away from the pivotalconnection between thelink 1 and the tension member 2' just described. The tension member 2 :is also provided with an arcuate surfacefi that extends slightly downwardly'to the upper edge ofthe 'notch 4. Alocking lever 7 is pivotally connected to the tensionfmember 2; as at 8, such pivotal connection'being slightlyto the rearcf and below the notch 4 and substantially'in the same plane asthe pivotal connection between thelink'l' and the tension member'2i Such lockinglever is provided with a notch 9 and its shape substantially conforms to the shape of the end offthe tension member 2 to which it is pivotally connected. Thus, the locking lever-takes the form or ahook shaped meme bervhavin g one upstanding. end 10.

tion with the free ends of a side chain to which 'it is applied. As shownythe locking lever extends angularly laterally fora portion of its length as at 14 whereby the U- shaped hook member may engage one of the" sides of the link 1 while a length of the main body portion of the locking lever is parallel tothe tension member 2. p

In the operation of this device, the tension member 2 beingsecured to' one of the end links of a length of chain as hereinbefore described, the end link of the opposing free end of the chain is placed over the U-shaped hook nien'iberof the locking lever 7 as shownin Fig. 2. Then, the locking lever is rotated aboutits pivotal connection with the tension member 2, the end link disposed thereon riding over the arcuate surface 6 ofthe tension member and down into the undercut notch 4 in the'tens'ion member and the notch 9in the locking lever as clearly shown in Fig. 4; At this time, the locking lever may be further moved about its pivotal connection with the tension member until the U-shaped hook'memb'er on the locking lever engages the sideof a: link 1 in the manner shown in Figs.- land 6-, wherebythe ends of the chain will 'beisecurely' locked together. 5 i i Referring to the drawings and thepreced ing description, it will beseen that I have provideda device of the type desc'ribed em bodying numerous novel and advantageous features- I- For instance, I have provided a device wherein drawing the free endsxoia chain together is a relatively simple and easy matter due to thep'os'ition ofthe pivotal connection between the lockingle'ver. and the tension member and the shape of one side of the tension member which: takes the form of an arcuate surface. 1 The pivotal connection between the locking lever 7 and the tension member 2 is so disposed as to give a maximum leverage to the locking lever for pulling the ,links that form the opposing free ends of each-side chain toward each other.--

- Another advantageous feature resides in the fact that the undercut notch 4; and the notch 9 in the locking lever 7 so cooperate whenin operative position with a link disposed in the undercut notch 4 that there will be no longitudinal pull on the locking'lever but allp'ull ortension will be exerted onthe tensionmember 2. Intact, the locking lever when in closed but unlatched position,- in

from the connecting means irrespective of whether or not the locking lever is latched or unlatched. A further advantageous feature resides in the fact that the locking lever 7 is so positioned and formed relative 'to the tension member 2 that movement of the lever tothe position shown in Fig. 2 will m1t0n1atically push the chain link out of engagement with the undercut notch l of the tension member; Various other novel and advantageous features will be readily apparent.

V fWhatI claim is:

L'A device of the character described comprising a tension member pivotally connected to one of the links ofa chain, a locking lever piv'otally connected to said tension member and adapted to extend along said tension member when in closed position, both of said pivots being in substantially the same plane, said tension member having van' undercut notch therein for the reception of a chain link, and said locking lever having a notch therein that is coincident wit-hthe undercut notcliin said tension member when the connectingmeansis in substantially closed position, said locking lever being adapted to move the chain link both into and out of the under cut notch in said tension member, and having means on one end thereof for engaging a link in the chain to maintain the connecting means in closed position. 1 2. A device of the character described comprising a tension member having a pivotal connection twiththe link of a chain and an undercut notch thereinfor the reception of another chain link, and an arcuate surface leading. to the upper edge of said notch, a locking lever pivotally connected to said ten sion member, the pivots between said locking 'leverliand saidtension. member and between said tension member and said chain link being insubstantially the same plane, said lockingllever being adapted to extend along said tension. memberland having a notch therein that is coincident with the undercut notch in said tension member when the connecting means is inisubstantially closed position, be ing adapted to move a chain link both into andout ofthe undercut notch in said tension member andhaving means on one end'thereoffadapted to engage oneof the links of the chain to hold the connecting means in substantially closed position, the locking lever and tension member being. ofsuch nature that no longitudinal stress or tension will be placed nponthe locking lever by a chain link disposedin theundercut notch therein.

In testimonyiwhereof I hereby aiiix my signature.

.f FR DERIC HODELL.

itself tends to retain the link in the undercut notch 4. j Thus there islittle if any, likeli- .:I hood of the chain link becoming disengaged Z Y 

